


Space Cow

by Almyrah



Series: A Journey Worth Taking [3]
Category: The Orville (TV)
Genre: Crew as Family, Fluff, Gen, Holidays, no pronouns for reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-10-05 09:14:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20486447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Almyrah/pseuds/Almyrah
Summary: It's the Holiday, the day crew members from Earth returned to celebrate whatever major holiday they celebrated with their family, and the Reader has no one to go home to and plans to spend the day alone. The Crew of the Orville have other plans.Another request from ThinkingofWordstoWrite: "a holiday fluff piece where the Reader has nowhere to go home to so all the Orville stay on board just for her and celebrate with her" (No pronouns for the reader were actually used so reader can be any gender)





	Space Cow

**Author's Note:**

> Here's a short fluffy one shot that is basically what it says on the tin. I highly recommend that one reads the first two stories before this one. I mean it's not necessary plot wise, but there's a decent amount of references to the first two which may be confusing.
> 
> Again, there are zero (0) pronouns used for the reader in this story so reader can be any gender you desire per usual.
> 
> Lastly, there are several holidays mentioned in this story for several different religions and I tried to justice for each of them, but if I insulted anyone's holiday or religion by accident please let me know and I'll be sure to rectify my mistake asap. I'll post the link down below from where I obtained all the information on the holidays mentioned.
> 
> (F/N)=first name (L/N)=last name

“You ready to show off our lovechild?” John asked you and Isaac. The three of you were grouped near the staircase near the Bridge. There were a few minutes before your shifts started.

“I do not understand what you mean by lovechild,” Isaac said in response, “I have only made love with Claire and it is not possible for either of you to produce a child with me as, although I may look like it now, I am not an organic species.”

He really did look like it. Your PortoSim was functioning flawlessly, and with the human simulation that Isaac and John had created for Isaac’s date with Claire, he looked just as human as you and the Lieutenant Commander.

“He’s talking about the fact that you look human was created by all us. The simulation was designed by you and Lt. Commander Lamar and my PortoSim allows you to use the simulation outside of the simulators,” you explained.

“Ah, I see, me utilizing the simulation on the Bridge is the result of the effort of all of us and is therefore our child.”

“Now you got it!” John slapped Isaac on the shoulder. “So, (F/N) and I will get everyone’s attention and when we give the signal, you’ll make your grand dramatic entrance. Dr. Finn is already waiting for us on the Bridge.” John focuses on you. “You ready?”

You take a deep breath and nod excitedly. You and Ed had had a fantastic time having drinks in the mess hall the night before and the good mood had carried over to this morning. You were certain that nothing would be able to ruin this high. You and John left Isaac and stood in the entrance of the Bridge.

“Can we have your attention please!” John said loudly before he passed the metaphorical microphone to you.

“Lt. Commander Lamar, Isaac, and I would like to show you something.” Dr. Finn caught your eye and smiled encouragingly. You smiled back and continued with the rehearsed introduction. “The three of us have worked hard to bring you all arguably the greatest thing since Synthesized Bread!”

“We give you,” John finished, “the new, improved, and honestly quite sexier Isaac!” You both grandly gestured towards Isaac as he entered the Bridge.

The silence from the crew was deafening as they took in the disguised Kaylon in front of them. Claire was the first to break the silence. “You look amazing, Isaac.” The rest of the Bridge crew followed her lead and started complimenting Isaac on his new human look, some even approaching Isaac to feel the simulation. You and John stepped to the side, admiring other who were admiring your handiwork.

Ed, who had been the first after Claire to compliment Isaac, joined the two of you. “I have to say that the Portable Simulator is even more impressive when I’m not in a life-threatening situation.” You looked over at Ed. He looked at you fondly, his face a mixture of overwhelming pride and something you couldn’t distinguish. You blushed and looked away in an attempt to hide it.

Some of the crew had asked you and John questions about the PortoSim or how the simulation was a perfect interpretation of Isaac in human form. When Gordon had approached Isaac, he was just as astounded as everyone else. “This is amazing!” He turned to Dr. Finn. “He’ll blend in perfectly on Earth when we visit for the Holiday.”

_What?_

“I was actually planning on taking Isaac with me and the boys when we go down to visit my parent’s home tomorrow.”

Tomorrow. The Holiday was tomorrow. The day that a Union vessel that was mostly staffed with a crew from Earth stopped at Earth for an assigned day so that the crew could celebrate whatever major holiday they celebrate with their family. The one day a year that you dreaded.

And it was tomorrow.

Back when you were a lowly ensign down in Engineering you could avoid the inevitable questions by pretending to be busy with something and then hiding out in your quarters for the entirety of the Holiday, but now that you were on the Bridge where conversation was the norm, you weren’t sure how to avoid the inevitable questions. How it had slipped your mind, you weren’t entirely sure. You blamed the drinks.

You continued to answer the rest of the questions directed at you with a somewhat forced smile and quickly took your place at navigation to avoid the…other questions. You tried to look as focused as possible as you looked at the star charts featuring Earth’s sun, Sol, as conversations about people’s Holiday plans floated around you.

“I’m going to visit my mom and dad who retired in Honolulu,” John said, “nothing better than those sandy Hawaiian beaches.”

Gordon turned around to face the rest of the Bridge. “My family throws this huge reunion in New Jersey; it has real booze and everything.”

“I’m planning on visiting my parents in New York, although,” Ed added quickly, I probably won’t mention the Calivon incident. They won’t like that I couldn’t tell that they were fake.”

“You have nothing to be ashamed about, Captain, as Calivon technology is one of the best in the galaxy, second only to the Kaylon. Your inferior brain was not able to detect anything wrong with the deception.”

“Thanks, Isaac, I’ll be sure to let them know.”

“I’m going to visit my parents in New York, too,” Kelly said.

“Really?” Kelly nodded. “What about you, (F/N), who are you going to visit?”

You sighed internally. “I was planning on getting in some extra studying for the command test. Or maybe synthesize a ProtoSim and work on upgrades.”

Everyone on the Bridge fell into confused silence. Gordon spoke up first. “Aren’t you from Earth?”

You gave a reluctant nod. “Mm-hmm.”

“Then why don’t you want to visit?” Kelly asked.

You turned around and silently debated in your head whether you should tell your coworkers the truth or not. Unfortunately, it was long enough to be noticeable even to Isaac that you were reluctant to tell them. “You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to,” Ed said. You appreciated that Ed wouldn’t push you to explain yourself, and if the Captain wasn’t going to push it, even after you got drinks together and flirted with him the night before, then no one else would push.

However, you had decided to trust them. “It’s because I don’t have anyone to visit on Earth.” You didn’t say anything else about it. No more questions were directed your way, so you assumed that the rest of the Bridge understood the implication that the people that you had, your parents and your aunt, were dead rather than on another planet.

You had felt tense for the rest of the shift and was relieved when it finally ended. You rushed to your quarters, planning on synthesizing food in your room for dinner.

* * *

The next day you alternated between studying and tweaking the ProtoSim as you thought of ways to add a voice modulator to your invention. Throughout the day you watched shuttles shuttle people down to Earth and back. You were about to break for lunch when Yaphit’s voice came through your wrist scanner. “Lieutenant (L/N)?”

“Lieutenant Yaphit, what’s wrong?” You and Yaphit rarely used rank to refer to each other unless you were in an extremely formal setting where it was necessary. You were also weirded out because you had today off like the rest of the crew that called Earth home.

“We’re having problems with the food synthesizers down in the Mess Hall.”

“All of them?”

“Yeah,” he replied, “we’ve been telling people to eat lunch in their quarters, but this is really looking like an all-hands-on-deck sort of situation.”

“Okay, I’ll be right down.” You hurried to the lift and head up to Deck B.

“Happy Holiday!” You heard the cheer before you took in the scene on the other side of the Mess Hall doors. Everyone you could call a friend was there smiling at you, including all the humans from the Bridge crew.

You blushed, flustered and unused to the attention. “What’s this?” you asked while frozen in the door.

Gordon and John stepped up and they both placed a hand on your back to gently guide you into the Mess Hall. “Well, when you said that you didn’t have anyone on Earth, we realized that while that’s true, you have all of us on the Orville,” Gordon explained.

“We weren’t sure which holidays you celebrated, so we prepared all of them,” John said, “you can see in the back we have Christmas,” he pointed at the Christmas tree with brightly wrapped presents and a turkey on the closest table.

“We also have Ramadan and Passover,” Gordon pointed to your right. By the bar was Eid-al-Fitr prepared next to a timer counting down to the night shift. Next to the Eid-al-Fitr was Matzoh and a digital copy of the Haggadah.

You look to your left and see a cow decorated in fine albeit synthesized cloth surrounded by clay saucers filled with oil that gave off a small flame. “Is that a real cow?” you asked.

“Yeah, it’s for Diwali.”

“How did you guys get a live cow on a Union ship?”

John jumped in, leaving your question unanswered. “And lastly, we have a simulator reserved for the entire day if you want to pray at a mosque, or for the Arapaho Sun Dance, or Odon, or Aboakyere, or any holiday we might have forgotten.”

Your eyes became glassy. “You all did all of this for me?”

“We couldn’t stand the thought of our friend being alone while we were all spending time with our families,” Claire said. Marcus, Ty, and a human-looking Isaac was standing next to her.

“I was just surprised that you managed to hide this for so many years,” John added.

You shrugged. “Thank you, guys, so much,” you blinked back tears, “I didn’t realize I had forgotten what it’s like to have a family.”

“Don’t thank us,” Kelly said, “it was all Ed’s idea.”

The warmth in your chest spread uncomfortably to your face as you made eye contact with Ed who had been uncharacteristically silent. “This was your idea?”

“Yeah, well, we’re a family.” Ed also had a slight blush on his cheeks. “And family means no gets left behind or forgotten.”

“Lilo and Stitch? Really?” You blinked back tears, trying not to cry in public.

“He’s right, though,” Kelly said, “we are a family.”

“Wait!” you shouted, “what about your families.”

John shrugged. “I can always call my parents.” Most of the attendees nodded in agreement.

“But what about Isaac meeting your parents?” you asked Dr. Finn, “or your family reunion, Gordon?”

“We went down this morning while everyone else was setting up,” Marcus explained.

“I wasn’t really looking forward to the reunion,” Gordon said, “most of my family are xenophobic.”

“Any more questions before we start observing some holidays?” Kelly asked.

“Yeah, how _did_ you guys smuggle a cow onto the Orville?”

* * *

Most of the crew had returned from Earth and the Eid-al-Fitr was almost gone when you had finally gotten a chance to be alone with Ed. You sat across from him at the table where he was nursing an eggnog. He took a sip as you sat down. “Absolutely awful,” he said as he put down his drink.

“So, all of this was your idea?” you asked with a smile.

“What? Oh yeah.” His cheeks suddenly grew pink. “Well, I wasn’t going to have a crew member be lonely during the Holiday while I’m captain. But Gordon and John did most of the work, I really didn’t do anything.”

Some movement caught your eye and you turned to look out the windows as the Earth begin to shrink as the Orville returned to space. “Even so, Ed, I just wanted to express my thanks.” You leaned across the table and kissed his cheek. “Thank you,” you whispered.

“Don’t mention it,” he replied as his cheeks darkened from pink to red. “I think she’s jealous.”

You turned and saw the cow behind you. She nudged you gently. “Hey, girl, you want a kiss too?” you asked before you realized there was a problem.

“Holy shit!” Ed said as he came to the same realization you did. “We forgot to return the cow!”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to everyone who Kudos and comments and has been following these stories. I love all of you so much!
> 
> Here's the website that had all of the religions. There are several on the website that weren't used because I only wanted religious holidays with religious connotations: https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/religious-commemorations-around-world/ (Thank you Scholastic)


End file.
